One less woman in politics: Wonder Woman loses job as UN ambassador

Plans to use superhero in an honorary role in empowerment campaign to fight for gender equality prompted criticism that the choice sent the wrong messages.

The UN has dropped the superhero Wonder Woman as an ambassador for empowering girls and women after a brief stint that drew widespread criticism.

The campaign around the comic book character, who turned 75 this autumn, lasted for less than two months. Among its key aims were challenging female stereotypes and fighting discrimination and violence against women and girls. But the appointment prompted an angry backlash from some quarters. More than 44,000 people signed a petition that claimed to have been started by “concerned United Nations staff members” which called on the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, to appoint a non-fictional woman to the role.